A three year postdoctoral position is available at the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute of Iceland to work on a project studying the benthic fauna and habitats on the Reykjanes Ridge (Iceland). The aims of this project are to 1) map and describe benthic communities and habitats 2) evaluate associations between fish and physical habitats and 3) examine the impacts of fishing on vulnerable habitat forming species.

Qualifications

Applicants are required to have a PhD in marine ecology or in other relevant fields. The candidate should have background in invertebrate taxonomy and biology and statistical analysis of biological data. It is essential that the candidate can work both independently and as part of a team. The candidate is expected to disseminate scientific findings (meetings, conferences and peer-reviewed articles).

Applications should include a cover letter, a complete CV and contact information for three references. Salaries are according to agreements between the Ministry of Finance and the union of the applicant.

The deadline for applications is 1st of May 2017 and the applicant should be able to start work as soon as possible.

Applications should be sent to umsokn@hafogvatn.is or mailed to the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Skúlagata 4, 101 Reykjavik. The postdoctoral position is equally suited for men and women.

Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (MFRI) is leading in marine and freshwater research in Iceland, providing advice on sustainable use and protection of the environment. MFRI is highly regarded in the scientific community, active at an international level, with close ties to international marine and freshwater research institutes, and universities. The MFRI headquarters are located in Reykjavik. In addition, the institute has two research vessels, and branches around Iceland. The MFRI has around 170 employees.

to assess and continue the development of trait-based approaches in different fields of ecology and marine science,

facilitate cross-fertilization of ideas and progress between marine, terrestrial and limnology-based researchers and students,

use a novel, collaborative format to identify core emerging questions and issues relevant to the use of trait-based approaches,

to point out how these methods can be utilized to better understand marine ecosystem functioning and as a framework for marine ecosystem modelling

Expected impact:

The trait-based approach is employed in many areas of ecology and ecosystem science, and the series of workshops on ‘Trait-based approaches to Ocean Life’ has proven to be a rare and vital meeting place for different disciplines in this field. With this third meeting we solidify the workshop as an essential clearinghouse for new developments in this field.

We expect the workshop will continue to inspire and trigger publications co-authored by participants from the many research groups adopting this approach.

The workshop will attract young talented students and future scientists to this vibrant field, and much of funding sources will be used to support travel and accommodation for students.

Host: The Workshop is hosted by the Hjort Centre for Marine Ecosystem Dynamics in Bergen, Norway – a research cluster between the Institute of Marine Research, University of Bergen, Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center, and Uni Research Ltd, Bergen. Together the four partners in the Hjort Centre along with the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research represent a substantial knowledge hub within marine research.

The Arctic University of Norway, (BFE). has a Postdoctoral Research Fellow position vacant in biological oceanography, financed by The Norwegian Research Council and part of the international project Sea Patches. The position is attached to The Department of Arcitc and Marine Biology

Field of Research

The position will be part of the interdisciplinary project Sea Patches that aims to locate patches of zooplankton, and delineate physical and behavioral mechanisms responsible for zooplankton patch formation in the ocean. Within the project we will focus on new technology to locate patches and to describe patch structure in detail. This knowledge will be utilized in physical and behavior models to understand patch formation. Pigments, lipids, population parameters and acoustic biomass estimates will be related to satellite remote sensing to study zooplankton ecology and behavior.

The work will be diverse, with field activity, collecting of large data sets by using optical and acoustical technology, statistical analyses of data, experimental methods, and publishing. The successful candidate is expected to substantially contribute to collection of data, data analysis, publications and outreach in interdisciplinary and international venues. The candidate is also expected to contribute to practical issues related to research cruise logistics, organizing workshops and data archival. The postdoctoral research fellow will be integrated into a larger international research team, within Sea Patches and within related research projects. The candidate will also have the opportunity to connect to the ARCTOS researchers network (www.arctos.uit.no).

Qualifications required

We seek a postdoctoral research fellow with an interest in biological-physical interactions in pelagic systems. The applicant must have experience from research activity in relation to zooplankton, and must have documented experience from publishing in international peer-reviewed journals. Experience from research cruises and from collecting and analyzing large data sets is desired. Experience from optical and/or acoustical measurements of zooplankton is an advantage. Pedagogical competence is strongly desired. The successful candidate must be able to work both independently and within a team and good collaborations skills are required. The overall personal qualifications will be considered.

The Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Iceland invites applications for three PhD student positions to reconstruct the long-term growth chronology of cod in the Northeast Atlantic.

We are looking for three PhD students to join an international multidisciplinary team investigating the long-term, century-scale population dynamics of cod around Iceland and/or Norway. The research of two students would investigate otolith-based growth chronologies, while the second student would investigate temperature reconstructions based on otolith oxygen isotopes. A University degree (Master of Science or equivalent) and excellent communication skills in written English are mandatory. Good quantitative skills and familiarity with fish biology and otoliths are of advantage. We expect the candidates to show outstanding motivation and initiative.

Two of the PhD positions will be based out of the University of Iceland in Reykjavik, while the third position will be based in Bergen, Norway. The positions will be funded for three years with a start-date as soon as possible. Annual PhD salaries are currently 4,380,000 ISK.

The Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) invites applications for a position as PhD Student in the field of environmental DNA analyses of plankton.

We are looking to employ a PhD student to investigate environmental DNA from marine and freshwater habitats with a focus on plankton diversity and its temporal variations under environmental changes. A University degree (Master or equivalent) in biology or a related discipline and practical experience with standard molecular genetic techniques such as DNA extraction, PCR and DNA sequencing are mandatory. Good analytical skills and familiarity with bioinformatic tools for the analysis of DNA sequence data are of advantage. We expect the candidate to show outstanding motivation for the topic and readiness to participate in expeditions to the Arctic. Good communication skills and fluency in written and spoken English are necessary.

The main working place is Potsdam (Periglacial Research Section), Germany. The position will be funded for three years with a start-date as soon as possible. The salary will be paid in accordance with the German Tarifvertrag des öffentlichen Dienstes (66% TVöD Bund, salary group 13).

On Wednesday, January 25th at 6 PM UTC,Rodolphe Devillers & David Bishop, members of the “Too big to ignore” Network, will be discussing the Information System on Small-Scale Fisheries (ISSF) during a webinar hosted by Ecosystem-based Management Tools Network. The webinar, which is titled “Crowd Sourcing Small-Scale Fisheries Data: A Global Initiative“, will be coordinated by NatureServe, OpenChannels.org & MEAM.

The Information System on Small-scale Fisheries (ISSF) is a web portal that is used to integrate, summarize, and communicate information on small-scale fisheries (SSF) globally. Based on a crowdsourcing approach, the data are all freely accessible, helping the global SSF community to better qualify and quantify SSF and their importance. The system provides diverse information, including people and organizations involved in this field, publications, and detailed profiles of SSF at specific locations. The system allows users to access data as a map or a table, generate reports, and export data for further analyses. ISSF was developed as part of the international project “Too Big to Ignore”. Access the portal at https://dory.creait.mun.ca

The School of Biological Sciences of the University of Portsmouth, UK, is offering a PhD opportunity in marine resource management.

Project details:

Harvesting the sea shore is an integral part of coastal life, but at local, national and global scales these inter-tidal fisheries are highly valuable, extract significant biomass and have considerable impacts. They, therefore, urgently require governance equivalent to other offshore fisheries. However, critical gaps in our understanding of these data-limited activities remain that currently prevent the implementation of evidence-based fisheries and resource management for coastal regions especially within Marine Protected Areas.

The Solent and Poole European Marine Sites (Marine Protected Areas) on the south coast of the UK provide a unique opportunity to assess the extent and impacts of these fisheries as they support high levels of bait, clam, cockle and oyster collection operating at different spatial scales and utilising different methods. The project is designed to assess the extent of these fisheries and evaluate the impact of these collection methods on habitats, target and non-target species and the function that these deliver (i.e. ecosystem services). The project will provide evidence to support effective management strategies that will meet future UK and European conservation, economic and social priorities.

Key questions to be addressed:

What is the historical and current extent of inter-tidal fisheries within the MPAs?

What impact do inter-tidal fisheries have on the bioavailability of sediment-bound pollutants?

How is ecosystem function affected by inter-tidal fisheries?

What are the population-level impacts of inter-tidal fisheries on wading birds?

The student will have opportunities to acquire a diverse set of skills including macrofaunal sampling and identification, trace metal and sediment analysis, GIS mapping, aerial photography, assessments of functional traits and hydrodynamic modelling. The student will also work closely with the relevant agencies including the Solent Forum, Natural England and The Southern Inshore Fisheries Conservation Agency and be part of the vibrant Ecotoxicology and Environmental Monitoring Group within the University. In addition, s(he) will have access to the Graduate School Development Programme and Department Postgraduate Researcher Training. Expected career opportunities would be academic research as well as conservation and fisheries resource management for government agencies, NGOs and environmental consultancies in the UK and beyond.

Successful applicants will be awarded a University Bursary Stipend of £14,057 p.a (for 16/17) for up to 4 years. Full Home / EU fees will be paid by the University. Holders of University Bursaries are expected to contribute up to 6 hours a week to support their department.

Eligibility:

The Bursaries are offered for full-time, Home or EU candidates only.

A good honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject or a Master’s degree in an appropriate subject. Exceptionally, equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will be considered.

For those students without English as a first language or without a first degree from an English speaking University, an English Language Proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0 is required.

The closing date for applications to the 2016 bursaries is: 5pm Sunday 3 April 2016. Interviews for short listed candidates are expected to take place between 18 April and 29 April 2016.